The characterization of alkyl intermediates on silica-supported ruthenium with (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
26 October 1984
During the hydrogenation of CO, at least four forms of non- oxygenated carbon exist on the surface of a silica-supported ruthenium catalyst. The alkyl groups formed on the catalyst can be characterized via the isotropic (13)C chemical shifts of the constituent carbons, resolved by spinning the catalyst at the magic angle. Although hydrogenation of CO on this catalyst produces almost exclusively methane and ethane, the (13)C NMR spectrum indicates the predominance of linear alkyl chains longer than four carbon units.